Welcome Back, Vontaze Burfict!

[*SHRacerX*]

(09-28-2018, 03:18 PM)I_C_DeadPeople Wrote: Elite? Child please.

One elite LB who has trouble staying on the field, one average LB and a younger LB who is inconsistent. 

LBs are a bit like WRs.  They benefit by having other good ones on the fields, and other good safeties.  I think Vigil has taken a major step forward, especially when in nickel.  He's fast, instinctive, and he's been much MORE consistent. 

I wouldn't call Preston Brown a Luke Keuchley, but in his only game with the Bengals (while healthy), he made an incredible play to tip and Andrew  Luck pass to himself for a huge INT.  Based on his previous history of tackles per season, I think he deserves a better assessment than average.
And, like Vigil, I think the best is yet to come for him when he gets to play with Burfict.

And then there is Burfict.  Trouble staying on the field, yes.  This most recent time was based on him thinking his season was over and he took a banned substance that he felt would help him heal.  He wasn't the assbagger, he was the assbagee, from JJSS.  I think he realizes, as he did last season, that he is on strike three and he will play accordingly.

That is a pretty good set of LBs.  If you watch football around the league, you see LBs that can't cover TEs, RBs, miss open field tackles, etc.  Defense overall has taken a pretty big hit.  I was hoping to see some defense in the Vikes and Rams game only to see both QBs throw for over 400 yards.

LBs have a tough assignment, based on how teams are attacking shorter distances.  I think LBs have spent their life filling rush lanes, and chasing QBs, only to suddenly have to become safeties in terms of their coverage abilities.  That was one of the reasons I wanted Shaq Griffin is all the film I saw on him at UCF showed incredible range.  

I think our LB crew with Vigil, Evans, Brown, and Burfict will be very strong down the mid-season stretch and will help solidify this defense.